Caterina Scorsone Pens Heartfelt Essay About Daughter’s Down Syndrome — All Humans Are Equal In ‘Dignity’

Feb 16, 2022 by apost team

Many people know Caterina Scorsone from her role in the popular TV series, “Grey's Anatomy” and its spin-offs “Private Practice” and “Station 19.” She has also made appearances in the films “Edge of Darkness” in 2010 and “The November Man” in 2014. The actress first found success after she landed the lead role on the Lifetime series “Missing.”

Caterina was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in 1981. What most people do not know is that she is actually a mother of three children. Caterina has recently taken the initiative to promote equality for all children, regardless of their medical conditions or other discriminatory factors. 

The star married Rob Giles in 2009 and their first child, Eliza, was born three years later in 2012. After that, the couple welcomed their daughter Paloma, or “Pippa,” into the world in 2016. Lastly, their youngest daughter Arwen Lucinda, who they call “Lucky,” was born in 2019. The next year, Caterina and Rob decided to get divorced.

In an essay that she wrote for the talk show “Good Morning America,” in October 2020, Caterina talks about her daughter. Paloma "Pippa" Michaela was diagnosed with Down syndrome during her infancy. Since October is Down syndrome awareness month, the actress thought that this would be the perfect opportunity to do her part in spreading awareness.

In her essay, she states that although Pippa has the condition, she is not the condition, meaning that her daughter should not be defined or recognized solely by Down syndrome. Pippa is different, but this condition also makes her unique. Caterina later explains what exactly distinguishes her daughter from the other children in society.

"She has a visual learning profile that makes it easier for her to learn from pictures and printed words than from hearing a teacher lecture," Scorsone writes. "She could read simple words at 3 years old but took longer than her sister to be able to talk because of differences in her oral motor planning and muscle tone."

Having Down syndrome means that Pippa will be needing extra attention and special care, however, everybody has specific necessities in life. Everyone needs someone in their lives who can motivate them to succeed, and Pippa is no different. While claiming that she will always be there for her daughter, Caterina alludes to the fact that as a person, she also needs someone to motivate her to succeed.

Scorsone makes the important distinction between the terms "equity" and "equality" in her essay. While the term "equity" embraces and accepts each person's differences, "equality" alludes to conformity. While we conform to an equal society, we are throwing away the parts of ourselves that make us unique. The actress claims that this is not an option for any of her children.

"What is equal about Pippa, and about you and me, and all of the other human beings on this planet is our dignity," She wrote. "We are equal in the very fact of our miraculous existence. We are the same in our right and desire to connect and find fulfillment, to find joy and community. What is different is what each one of us needs in order to have those things."

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One difference that people with Down syndrome experience is how they communicate. Caterina explained to People in 2021 why that is and shared that Pippa has been speaking more. The actress said:

"One thing many people don't understand about Down syndrome is the hypotonia, the decreased muscle tone. The musculature of Pippa's mouth and tongue is less developed, so it took her a little longer to develop expressive language. But we taught Pippa sign language early on, and sometimes she'll still sign to get her point across. Her receptive language has always been strong, so she understands more than many might assume, and now her vocabulary is starting to blossom."

When viewing an ad on a billboard or even browsing through a magazine, it is rare to see models with conditions such as Asperger syndrome or Down syndrome. Inclusion is typically not practiced, and if more companies were to hire models with various conditions, these conditions would become normalized within society.

Of course, Pippa needs more assistance in her life to achieve certain things that a person without her condition would. Her mother mentions that Pippa requires therapy and guidance, however, this does not sway her from her goals. If anything, this only makes Pippa more determined. "Pippa is different. So are you and so am I," Scorsone points out in her essay.

The mother shared that she learned to embrace her daughter's differences rather than view them as disabilities. Pippa has been thriving and is living a very happy life and Caterina hopes to spread awareness in our society while encouraging others to get involved.

What do you think about what Caterina had to say about difference versus disability? Let us know your opinion and be sure to send this along to your friends and family.